Slowly, however, Iranian hijab has blossomed into a Technicolor array of hues and figure-hugging styles that satisfy the letter if not the spirit of Islamic law.

It is rare these days to see an Iranian woman under 50 wearing the pitch-black tent-like garment known as a chador, long associated with the Islamic Republic.

Mannequins sport the latest trends in Tehran.

A selection of styles are available.

One aspect of the rules remains unchanged, however, and that is the requirement to cover at least a portion of one’s hair and most of one’s body. With temperatures that in summer soar above 105 degrees Fahrenheit, that can make a woman in Tehran feel like something else associated with Iran: the grilled meat on a skewer known as kabob.

Barbara Slavin is Washington correspondent for Al-Monitor and a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council where she focuses on Iran. On Twitter: @BarbaraSlavin1

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